Further Links Contact Us Search Help

Syllabus | Exams | Assessment | Glossary | Site reviews | Careers

Food Technology

Home > Food Technology > Contemporary food issues - Nutrition > Folate, a pilot health claim

Nutrition

---

Folate, a pilot health claim

In the option strand, Contemporary food issues: Nutrition, you will learn about:

• nutritional considerations for specific groups
• the role of supplements in the diet
• the role of the individual, community groups, the food industry, government organisations and private agencies in promoting health
• planning diets and preparing foods/meals to address the dietary requirements of specific groups.

The pilot health claim on food labels to help reduce neural tube defects in babies provides an excellent topic for learning about these issues. You can start by looking at the role of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) in initiating this study and then move on to see the industry response from the Australian Food and Grocery Council. You can then take a look at how a food manufacturer and a nutrition organisation respond.

Outcomes

This material addresses aspects of the following syllabus outcome:

Source: Board of Studies NSW, Stage 6 Food Technology Syllabus, Preliminary and HSC Courses (1999)

What is a health claim?

Health claims are messages that make a direct link between eating a food or a nutrient in a food and reduced risk of disease. An example of a health claim is:

Front of pack:
"A woman's diet rich in folate may help prevent spina bifida in her baby."

Back of pack:
"Diets rich in folate, a B vitamin, before and in early pregnancy may reduce the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida in the baby. One serving of this food contains 10 % of the 400 micrograms per day intake of folate recommended for women of child bearing age."

Source: FSANZ "A Pilot for a Health Claims System using Folate/Neural Tube Defects Health Claims"
http://www.anzfa.gov.au/folatePilot/HealthClaimsPilot.htm (7th Feb. 2000)

Activity 1

1. The next time you are in a supermarket try to find examples of products that have health claims on the product packaging. In particular, look for the folate health claim.

Folate and ANZFA

There is an excellent fact sheet about folate and the health claims pilot study. You can download it from the FSANZ site. Complete the following questions based on the fact sheet.

1. To what group of vitamins does folate belong?
2. Are low folate levels the only cause of neural tube defects?
3. Who will benefit from this pilot health claim study?
4. What foods contain folate?
5. How much folate per day is needed by women one month prior to pregnancy and for the first three months of pregnancy?

The logo below has been developed to identify products participating in the health claim study.

Reproduced with permission of FSANZ

Australian media articles

There are three web pages that are well worth looking at on folate and its health benefits.

• Folate Health Message - It's legal on Food describes how a range of foods can now legally carry a health claim promoting the benefits of folate for women
• Folate: are you eating enough? is an article from Choice in 2004, which looks at dietary requirements and food sources.
• Dietary Folate Calculator is a very useful online tool that allows you to calculate your daily or weekly consumption of folate.

1. Read the information provided in the media articles and suggest ways in which a pregnant woman could ensure she was meeting her daily requirement for folate. Use the online calculator to work out if you are meeting your own requirements for folate.

Case study

In Australia bread is a staple food. TipTop Bakeries have been baking bread for Australians since the end of World War II.

1. Visit the Tip Top web site and scroll down the FAQ’s to find why is folate added to Tip Top® 9 Grain Bread?
2. Next time you are buying bread take a look at the ingredient and nutritive content tables to see which ones contain folate.
3. Why is it a good idea to fortify a staple product like bread?

Supplements

1. Folate can be found in a variety of foods and in fortified products such as breads and breakfast cereals. Discuss the role of folate supplements. Which group of women in particular may need more than the recommended 400 mg per day?

Spicy vegetarian cous cous

1. Nutrition Australia features a Recipe of the Week on its web site. Search the Recipe archive for Spicy vegetable cous cous. Complete a dietary analysis of the recipe to find out how much folate it contains. Remember you will need to divide the total by four as the recipe serves four.
2. Plan meals for one day to address the folate requirements of a woman who is two months pregnant.